White Sox Find Right Mix to Get to Series

White Sox Find Right Mix to Get to Series


CHICAGO - Freddy Garcia scans the Chicago White Sox clubhouse, sees teammates from different backgrounds, and shrugs. Language barriers? A cultural divide? Garcia sees none of that. Instead, he sees a team that's preparing to play Houston in the World Series — the first for the White Sox since 1959 and first ever for the Astros. He sees a team that won the AL Central and dominated the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels in the first two rounds of the playoffs.



"When you play baseball, you learn to communicate with the other guys," the pitcher said. "It's not really a big deal."

Nine players on the White Sox's 40-man roster are from the Dominican Republic. Pitchers Jose Contreras and Orlando Hernandez are Cuban, and second baseman Tadahito Iguchi is Japanese. Puerto Rico is also represented, as is Venezuela, which produced Garcia and manager Ozzie Guillen.

"We're diverse because we're looking for the best in talent and character," general manager Ken Williams says. "It just happened that way. I could care less what the makeup of the club is as long as it works as a whole."

Not considered a favorite in April, the White Sox saw a 15-game lead in the AL Central drop to 1 1/2 over Cleveland late in the regular season before they hung on. Then, they swept Boston and won four of five against Los Angeles in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

They won with pitching, with speed.

And they won with a diverse group — not that an ethnically mixed clubhouse is unusual.

According to a study released this week by the University of Central Florida, 27.3 percent of the players in 2004 were not American.

"I think in our case it's come together pretty well," reliever Neal Cotts said. "I think Ozzie instilled that from the beginning in spring training, that we're going to be together six months and make the best out of it."

Reliever Cliff Politte doesn't think it's unusual for players to gravitate to those who speak the same language. It doesn't necessarily mean the team is divided.

"It's easier for them to communicate amongst themselves," Politte said.

Politte said the White Sox "find ways" to communicate. "We adapt to their language the best we can. Maybe you won't hang out with them off the field, but everybody gets along. Just because he can't speak English or I can't speak Japanese doesn't mean I'm not going to talk to Iguchi."

Williams said the organization has the proper support in place for foreign players, but the greatest aid toward overcoming potential barriers is what happens on the field.

"Let me tell you what helps the whole language-barrier thing and culturalization-area thing," Williams said. "Going out there on a day-to-day basis and winning ballgames and performing, that goes a long way toward establishing communication."

With Guillen, lack of communication never is an issue.

He estimates he spent "at least" $100,000 in English lessons over the years, and he's not shy showing what he learned.

He calls out players when they don't perform. He said the White Sox "flat-out stink" after a loss to Kansas City in September. But Guillen's personality fits this team.

He interacts with the players, jokes with them. When he rips them in public, well, the players hear it before those words hit the airwaves and newspapers.

Guillen hopes his success opens the door to managing jobs for other Latinos.

"You have to hire a manager because he's good enough to do this — not because you're Latino," he said.

Guillen sets the tone on a diverse team.

"They get along because they have to," Guillen said. "No matter what country, what religion, what you believe, we have a team. I respect people's religion. I respect people's race. I respect the way they grow up. ... They might not hang together in the street, but when they're in the ballpark they've got to fight for one reason."